Published 4:15 pm, Wednesday, March 21, 2012

On Wednesday, jurors heard forensic testimony and the events that led to the death of one man and the stabbing of his girlfriend June 6 in Midland County.

The prosecutors in Stephen Craig Whitworth's trial presented evidence from DNA experts, doctors and a coroner implicating him in the death of Christopher Aaron Easley and the assault of Anne Bostic.

Whitworth and Paul Lee allgedly lured Easley and Bostic to a desolate area on South County Road 1210 in the early morning on June 6 to smoke marijuana. Lee allegedly struck Easley with a set of bolt cutters, and Whitworth held Bostic by the neck, forcing her to watch. Whitworth then allegedly stabbed the woman several times, leaving her to die. After the men left, she rushed into traffic for help.

Dr. Shelton Viney, Bostic's surgeon at Midland Memorial Hospital, testified about the seriousness of her injuries.

He said that when he first saw Bostic, nurses were working to save the woman's life. Two nurses were applying pressure to two separate wounds on her neck. He said there was profuse bleeding and Bostic rapidly was losing blood pressure.

He had to repair several veins, including her jugular vein that was almost severed. Viney said Bostic is one of the most severely injured patients he has ever seen survive this type of brutal attack. He said he has had more than 35,000 patients.

Dr. Nizam Peerwani, Tarrant County's chief medical examiner, also discussed the brutality of the attack on Easley. He said a massive amount of force was used to beat Easley in the back of the head with a set of bolt cutters. He also testified to the tremendous amount of force used to stab Easley in the face with the bolt cutters.

Stephen Hester, the state's DNA expert, explained the results of several blood and DNA sources found on the weapons allegedly used in the crimes.

DNA compatible to Bostic's was found on the blade of a fixed-blade knife allegedly used in the attack. The knife's handle also was found to contain DNA material consistent with samples from Bostic and Whitworth.

Hester gave statistics indicating the likelihood that the DNA could have been a random match. "With a reasonable degree of certainty," the blood stains and DNA material were matches, Hester said.

A second knife -- a folding-blade knife -- and the set of bolt cutters that Midland County deputies recovered contained blood and DNA consistent with Easley's. Also, the handles of both weapons contained DNA material and blood stains that were consistent to Easley's and Lee's, he said.

Whitworth's attorney, Roy Scott, made issue of other DNA found on the knife Whitworth allegedly used to cut Bostic. Although there was no evidence to determine if Lee's DNA also was on the knife, Hester said it was possible.

Jurors also heard from Lee's brother, James Cooper, and the victim's brother, Mike Easley. The pair recounted Lee's and Whitworth's relationship with each other and their alleged victims.

Cooper said the group got along well and that Whitworth and Lee were like brothers. He said the pair would get into arguments, and on at least one occasion, the men had a physical confrontation, but "Stephen (Whitworth) never backed down to Paul (Lee)."

Mike Easley said he was smoking marijuana with another woman, Bostic and his brother shortly before the victims drove off with their alleged attackers. Easley said it was apparent from his brief conversation with Lee and Whitworth that he was not invited to join them.

The trial will continue at 8:30 a.m.today at the 441st Judicial District Court. Lee is scheduled to go on trial beginning April 2.

James Cannon can be reached at jcannon@mrt.com and Audrie Palmer can be reached at apalmer@mrt.com.